VALLEY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 31:1 



ness." while if we are ri<i^lit. not one stain or imputation remains. 

 How important to be sure we are ri^lit. 



Let us guard against too much legishition. It is the bane of the 

 country. Sometimes T think we act as if we want to legishite a man 

 to death, resurrect him ])y k'gishition. and legishite for the eternal 

 life l)eyond. Now I think we had l)etter. at least, leave the last alone 

 until we know definitely where the state lines in that unknown 

 country are, and to what state the man is going. But let us. when 

 a law is proven to be useless, urge its l)anishment from the statute 

 books; learn the simple needs of the body })olitic. and by so qualify- 

 ing ourselves that we can show a masterly ability to frame simple 

 laws to provide for those needs, T have no fears of our not reaching 

 the higher rounds of the political ladder. 



DISCUSSION 



of the question, "Why are apple trees so short-lived in the west?"" 



A, S. Vail — When Mr. Beedy and myself first came to this 

 country we planted orchards. In from ten to twenty years they be- 

 gan dying. In digging up the dead ti'ees to replant we found that 

 the bottom oi- tap roots were all rotten. We supposed that it was 

 caused by tiie roots running down into the water. To correct this 

 we put in ;i l)ig flat stone in tlic bottom of the hole before planting 

 in the young tree. Trees planted in this way twenty-five years ago 

 are still nice and thrifty. Our soil is deep and rich. Since we 

 planted those trees with stones underneath, my son planted an 

 orchard without ])ntting stones umh'r his trees, mid they are nearly 

 all dead. 



Milo Barnard read short extracts from the priiiti'd (i|»iiii(>ns of 

 some eastern gentlemen on the subject. 



A. S. Randall — Our land is too wet. This ])rairie soil of ours 

 needs tile draining for orchards. 



A. L. Milln- I notice that orchards set on the highest knobs, 

 well drained, are doing well. I think root-grafting is one thing that 

 ails our ondiards. [ l)elieve that the whole root should be used 

 instead of a piece of a root, as is customary. 



Mr. Miner also s])oke in favor r»f building seedlings. 



A. Mellon- I do not agree with Mr. Miner in regard to root- 

 grafting; my toi)-grafted trees break flown badly. I have come to 

 the conclusion that root->'raftin<; is the best. I have one Wild (ioose 



